Fault logic based operating system for one or more disconnects in a circuit breaker, with provision of limited automatic self-reset and/or reset by software application

Abstract

A circuit breaker with at least one disconnect mechanism and a smart monitoring system implements nuanced fault logic in order to minimize disruption to operation of the circuit breaker under a fault condition, and enables the circuit breaker to address nuisance or low severity faults separately from load switching. Under low severity or nuisance fault conditions, the smart monitoring system temporarily disconnects affected loads from the power supply rather than tripping the entire circuit breaker so that the loads can be reconnected to the power supply if the fault condition resolves within a short amount of time. In addition, the disconnect mechanism(s) that are used to temporarily disconnect the load(s) are configured to be re-closed after opening without requiring manual intervention. In high severity fault conditions, the smart monitoring system actuates tripping of the entire breaker, requiring manual re-closing of the circuit breaker.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A circuit breaker, the circuit breaker comprising:
 a number of pole assemblies, each pole assembly comprising:
 a line conductor structured to be connected between a power source and a load; 
 a primary disconnect device disposed along the line conductor; 
 a primary disconnect trip system configured to actuate the primary disconnect device between an open state and a closed state; 
 a secondary disconnect device disposed in series with the primary disconnect device along the line conductor; 
 secondary disconnect driving circuitry configured to actuate the secondary disconnect device between an open state and a closed state; and 
 a number of monitoring devices configured to monitor operating conditions in the pole assembly; and 
 
 a controller, 
 wherein, for each pole assembly:
 the controller is configured to receive input from the number of monitoring devices, to communicate with a remote user communication device, and to communicate with the primary disconnect trip system and with the secondary disconnect driving circuitry, 
 the primary disconnect device and the secondary disconnect device must be closed in order for the load to receive power from the power source, 
 the controller is configured to determine when a fault condition exists in the circuit breaker based on the input from the number of monitoring devices and to determine a severity level of the fault condition, 
 when the controller determines that the fault condition severity level is minor, the controller is configured to actuate the secondary disconnect driving circuitry to open the secondary disconnect device, wait for a delay time, keep the primary disconnect device closed during the delay time, assess the fault condition multiple times during the delay time, and determine if the fault condition has resolved within the delay time, 
 when the fault condition has resolved within the delay time, the controller is configured to actuate the secondary disconnect driving circuitry to close the secondary disconnect device without manual intervention, and 
 when the controller determines that the fault condition severity level is high severity, the controller is configured to actuate the primary disconnect trip system to trip open the primary disconnect device without first actuating the secondary disconnect driving circuitry to open the secondary disconnect device. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The circuit breaker of  claim 1 ,
 wherein, for each pole assembly, the controller is configured to automatically actuate the secondary disconnect driving circuitry to close the secondary disconnect device after the fault condition has resolved. 
 
     
     
       3. The circuit breaker of  claim 1 ,
 wherein, for each pole assembly, the controller is configured to actuate the secondary disconnect driving circuitry to close the secondary disconnect device after receiving remote user instructions once the fault condition has resolved. 
 
     
     
       4. The circuit breaker of  claim 3 ,
 wherein, for each pole assembly:
 the controller is configured to communicate with either a mobile phone app or a human machine interface, and 
 
 the controller is configured to receive instructions input by a user to the mobile phone app or to the human machine interface to actuate the secondary disconnect driving circuitry to close the secondary disconnect device. 
 
     
     
       5. The circuit breaker of  claim 1 ,
 wherein, for each pole assembly, when the fault condition has not resolved within the delay time, the controller is configured to actuate the primary disconnect trip system to trip open the primary disconnect device. 
 
     
     
       6. The circuit breaker of  claim 5 ,
 wherein, for each pole assembly, closing the primary disconnect device after the primary disconnect device has been tripped open requires manual intervention. 
 
     
     
       7. The circuit breaker of  claim 1 ,
 wherein, for each pole assembly, closing the primary disconnect device after the primary disconnect device has been tripped open requires manual intervention. 
 
     
     
       8. A circuit breaker, the circuit breaker comprising:
 a number of pole assemblies, each pole assembly comprising:
 a line conductor structured to be connected between a power source and a load; 
 a primary disconnect device disposed along the line conductor; 
 a primary disconnect trip system configured to actuate the primary disconnect device between a first open state and a first closed state; 
 a primary disconnect open/close system configured to actuate the primary disconnect between a second open state and a second closed state; and 
 a number of monitoring devices configured to monitor operating conditions in the circuit breaker; and 
 
 a controller, 
 wherein, for each pole assembly:
 the controller is configured to receive input from the number of monitoring devices, to communicate with a remote user communication device, and to communicate with the primary disconnect trip system and with the primary disconnect open/close system, 
 
 the primary disconnect device must be closed in order for the load to receive power from the power source, 
 the controller is configured to determine when a fault condition exists in the circuit breaker based on the input from the number of monitoring devices and to determine a severity level of the fault condition, 
 when the controller determines that the fault condition severity level is minor, the controller is configured to actuate the primary disconnect open/close system to open the primary disconnect device, wait for a delay time, assess the fault condition multiple times during the delay time, and determine if the fault condition has resolved within the delay time, and 
 when the fault condition has resolved within the delay time, the controller is configured to actuate the primary disconnect open/close system to close the primary disconnect device without manual intervention. 
 
     
     
       9. The circuit breaker of  claim 8 ,
 wherein, for each pole assembly, the controller is configured to automatically actuate the primary disconnect open/close system to close the primary disconnect device after the fault condition has resolved. 
 
     
     
       10. The circuit breaker of  claim 8 ,
 wherein, for each pole assembly, the controller is configured to actuate the primary disconnect open/close system to close the primary disconnect device after receiving remote user instructions once the fault condition has resolved. 
 
     
     
       11. The circuit breaker of  claim 10 ,
 wherein, for each pole assembly:
 the controller is configured to communicate with either a mobile phone app or a human machine interface, and 
 the controller is configured to receive instructions input by a user to the mobile phone app or to the human machine interface to actuate the primary disconnect open/close system to close the primary disconnect device. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The circuit breaker of  claim 8 ,
 wherein, for each pole assembly, when the fault condition has not resolved within the delay time, the controller is configured to instruct the primary disconnect trip system to trip the primary disconnect device to a trip state. 
 
     
     
       13. The circuit breaker of  claim 12 ,
 wherein, for each pole assembly, closing the primary disconnect device once the primary disconnect device is in the trip state requires manual intervention. 
 
     
     
       14. The circuit breaker of  claim 8 ,
 wherein, for each pole assembly, when the controller determines that the fault condition severity level is high severity, the controller is configured to instruct the primary disconnect trip system to trip the primary disconnect device to the open state. 
 
     
     
       15. The circuit breaker of  claim 14 ,
 wherein, for each pole assembly, closing the primary disconnect device after the primary disconnect device has been tripped to the open state requires manual intervention. 
 
     
     
       16. A method of handling faults in a pole assembly of a circuit breaker, the method comprising:
 providing a primary disconnect device along a line conductor of the pole assembly between a power source and a load; 
 providing a secondary disconnect device along the line conductor in series with the primary disconnect device; 
 monitoring operating conditions in the pole assembly with a number of monitoring devices; 
 detecting a fault condition with a controller based on input to the controller from the number of monitoring devices; 
 determining with the controller if a severity level of the fault condition is minor or high severity; 
 when the fault condition is minor:
 actuating the secondary disconnect device to open with the controller; 
 waiting for a delay time; 
 assessing the fault condition with the controller multiple times during the delay time; 
 determining with the controller whether the fault condition has resolved within the delay time; 
 when the fault condition has resolved within the delay time, actuating closing of the secondary disconnect device without manual intervention; and 
 keeping the primary disconnect device closed during the delay time; and 
 
 when the fault condition is high severity:
 actuating the primary disconnect device to open with the controller without first actuating the secondary disconnect device to open. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 within each pole assembly, when the controller determines that the fault condition has not resolved within the delay time, actuating the primary disconnect device to open with the controller. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 within each pole assembly, when the controller determines that the fault condition has not resolved within the delay time, instructing a primary disconnect trip system to trip the secondary disconnect device to a trip state.